Live Cricket Score - England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 3, Birmingham

STUMPS! New Zealand don't opt for an extra half an hour, taking the game to a fourth day.At stumps, England's lead was a mere 37 after they were reduced to 122/9. New Zealand were too good. They first extended their lead to 85 when it didn't seem possible thanks to a wagging tail. Matt Henry provided them with the breakthroughs upfront and the others followed from there. England will be disappointed with their performance with the bat in the second innings. New Zealand have victory in sight after a stellar Day 3, and hence the series too. Don't forget to join us tomorrow early. It could be an early finish. Goodbye until then.

OUT!The ball has been changed, Wagner returns and he picks up Wood to break the 44-run stand with Pope. New Zealand need two more wickets to wrap up England's innings.

100 up for England

England are into the lead and now New Zealand will have to bat again

Spin and bounce and Root is gone!! Ajaz Patel has the big wicket with England reeling at 76/7.

Bowled 'im! England lose their sixth wicket as Bracey is knocked over by Patel.

OUT!! Lawrence didn't need to play that, but did and paid the price like Burns and the rest did. England are 58/5!Wagner has his second wicket. Lawrence, who was unbeaten in the first innings on 81, is out for a duck.

OUT!Pope is given out leg before off Wagner, but England review. The only thing that could've saved Pope was height, but it's clipping. Umpire's call and England are 58/4.

OUT! Zak Crawley's troubles continue as he's trapped lbw.He reviews, but to no use as England lose one in the process. It's Henry's third wicket as England are reduced to 30/3. Crawley had been troubled by the outswinger or the away going delivery, it was a decent length, straight delivery that struck Crawley on the pads.

TEA! New Zealand reduce England to 18/2 at Tea!Can't keep New Zealand at bay, clearly. Matt Henry's double strikes hurt England, whose openers had 25 minutes to survive to the break. Henry got both batsmen nick to the slips, bowling impeccable lines and lengths, while Boult was getting the ball to swing. A big session coming up both sides. NZ are ahead in the game, but can England resist their pacers? Join us in a bit.

And another!It's Henry again and the slips have been kept busy. An outside edge again and the slips don't err. The England openers are back in the hut.

OUT!!!Rory Burns is gonneee for a duck as New Zealand strike off the second ball! Pitched up outside off, it was eerily similar to the previous ball,.Burns should have let it go, but doesn't and pays the price. He chases it for a drive away only for a thick outside edge.

ALL OUT! New Zealand are bowled out for 388 with a lead of 85 runs.Broad finishes with four, while three of New Zealand's batsmen are dismissed in the 80s. The last-wicket stand was worth 27 off just 21 as New Zealand stretched their lead. Post lunch, England's pacers were on the money. Wood and Stone troubled the batsmen with their pace, Anderson was still getting the ball to swing around. From 326/5, the visitors were quickly reduced to 361/9.

Handy runs for New Zealand with the tail wagging

Broad strikes!Blundell going after a wide, very full one, looking to drive it, edges it straight to Root at slip. New Zealand are 9 down. Third wicket for Broad.

NZ's lead goes past 50

OUT! Matt Henry is trapped leg before by Mark Wood.He reviews, but three reds and NZ lose their 8th.

And another!! Jimmy Anderson knocks over Wagner without scoring.Round the wicket, off the pad and onto the stumps.

OUT!Short ball again and Stone has another. Daryl Mitchell pulls one wide of off straight to Zak Crawley. NZ - 335/6.

We're back after Lunch with a crucial session awaiting both teams

LUNCH! It was a great start for New Zealand, but England pulled things back in the latter half of the session.NZ went into the lead, only just, to end the session on 326 for 5, with a lead of 23.Ross Taylor was aggressive from the outset as New Zealand scored 63 in the first hour itself. England struck later with Taylor and Nicholls's wickets to end the session with some positives. Yet, their catching continued to be a problem with two drops in the session as Bracey was struggling behind the stumps. How many can NZ score after Lunch to extend their lead? Join us in 40 minutes.

OUT! Nicholls edges to the 'keeper who takes it happily and more importantly, safely.It was a short ball from Wood with the ploy working as he gets just a faint tickle off one going down leg. The keeper dives and pouches it. NZ - 312/5.

New Zealand are into the lead now

300 up for NZ

DROPPED!! Stone could've had two in the over, but Bracey puts down Blundell. It was a genuine edge and he even dived to his right.. but...

OUT!The jinx of the 80s continues!! Ross Taylor edges and Bracey who has had a poor day behind the stumps redeems himself. Gone for 80, putting an end to his aggressive play today. He chased a full delivery outside off and there's a bit of away movement which did him in. Olly Stone has the wicket.

50 partnership between Nicholls and Taylor!

Dropped!Broad gets a short one and Taylor goes after it even, giving Broad the result he wanted... almost. The ball reached Sam Billings who runs in from fine leg, but he can't hold on.

250 up for New Zealand

FIFTY FOR ROSS TAYLOR! Gets there with a sweep that reaches the boundary.

The players are in the middle all geared up for an important session

New Zealand dominated the second day as England's bowlers struggled to make failed to make many inroads, ending the day just 74 shy of the hosts' 303. They lost Will Young in the final over of the day to give England something positive to end the day with as NZ went to stumps at 229/3.

Hello and welcome to Day 3 of the second Test. Will Young was so impressively calm and composed, and even though Ross Taylor scrapped through the initial part of his innings, he held the boat steady. New Zealand looked set to finish the day just two wickets down, Young fell for 82 to give Dan Lawrence his maiden Test wicket.

This Test has had as many as four half-centurions, but all of them, coincidentally have not gone past the 80s. Rory Burns fell for 81, Dan Lawrence remained unbeaten on 81, Devon Conway fell for 80, and Young for 82. Taylor will resume the day on 46. We'll find out soon if he can break the curse of the 80s.